Cutting Your Power Bill in Brunswick County: Energy Efficiency, Solar, and EV Programs from BEMC, Duke Energy, and the State of North Carolina

Graphic: Cutting Your Power Bill in Brunswick County. A home with rooftop solar panels, a smart thermostat set to 72 degrees, and an electric vehicle charging beside the water. Icons for energy efficiency, solar options, EV incentives, rebates and financing, and cleaner energy. From All Things Leland.

Which utility programs you can use depends on whose name is on your bill, so check that first. Most of the county is served by Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC), a member-owned cooperative, or by Duke Energy Progress, which serves areas including Leland and is the largest supplier in the county by megawatt hours sold. One statewide program is open to residents of both.

For everyone: Energy Saver NC

The state's home energy rebate program is run by the NC Department of Environmental Quality's State Energy Office and funded through two U.S. Department of Energy programs. It's available in all 100 North Carolina counties, Brunswick included, and works with either utility.

HOMES

Homeowners Managing Efficiency Savings: up to $16,000 for upgrades such as air sealing or energy-efficient HVAC units.

HEAR

Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates: up to $14,000 for high-efficiency appliances such as heat pump water heaters and electric stoves.

Who qualifies

Eligibility depends on income and household size, measured against your county's Area Median Income (AMI). Households at or below 80% of AMI can get a full rebate covering 100% of project costs, up to the program caps. Households between 80% and 150% of AMI can qualify for smaller, partial rebates. Homeowners, and renters with landlord approval, may qualify. As of spring 2026 the program serves single-family homes, including houses, mobile homes, townhouses, and duplexes, with multifamily buildings expected later.

How it works

  1. Check your income eligibility and apply at energysavernc.org.
  2. Once your income is confirmed, you receive a free home energy assessment.
  3. Rebate amounts are based on your household income and the energy savings projected for your home.
  4. All upgrades must be done by an Energy Saver NC-approved contractor, so don't hire your own contractor first.

What it covers

Insulation and air sealing, heating and cooling upgrades, heat pump water heaters, and electrical panel upgrades. Panel work is easy to overlook, and it can also prepare a home for an EV charger. State estimates put typical savings at roughly $945 a year per participating household.

The program is expected to run through 2031 or until the money runs out, so earlier applicants have the best shot. Each rebate has its own requirements for the old equipment being replaced and the new equipment going in, so ask the program about your specific project before any work starts.

If BEMC is your provider

Rebates for efficient equipment

Rebates are paid as bill credits, generally within 30 days of approval. You'll need a contractor invoice or receipt dated within six months of applying. See BEMC's rebate page for current amounts.

Each rebate is limited to two per appliance per year, and you can apply for several at once.

Home energy assessments

A certified technician looks at heating and cooling, water heating, windows, doors, and insulation, then gives you a report built on your actual usage history. Details here. Any recommended work is optional.

Financing upgrades

BEMC's Energy Efficiency Loan lets members borrow up to $10,000 at 5% APR, usually repaid over five years on the monthly bill. Eligible projects include heat pumps (15+ SEER2 with a smart thermostat), heat pump water heaters, windows, doors, insulation, and ductwork. You need to own the property, have at least a year of service with good payment history, and have a credit score of 600 or higher.

Managing when you use power

Connect to Save pays cash rewards if you let the co-op make small thermostat adjustments during peak demand. Enrollment is paused right now, and BEMC says it will reopen December 1. BEMC also offers Beat the Peak alerts and time-of-use rates, which reward you for shifting usage to off-peak hours.

If Duke Energy is your provider

Duke's offerings in North Carolina are broad, but rebate amounts change often and vary by state and utility. Enter your address on Duke's rebate page to see what applies to you.

Duke advertises up to $1,450 in rebates for eligible customers for energy efficient home upgrades, plus special promotions and discounts. In early 2025 Duke announced it had raised incentives on many residential programs, with some doubling or tripling. Its demand-response programs, Power Manager and EnergyWise Home, pay customers who let Duke cycle equipment during peak periods.

Duke's rebates can generally be combined with Energy Saver NC rebates, though it's worth confirming before you sign a contract.

Solar

Tax credits have ended. The federal residential clean energy credit and the energy efficient home improvement credit ended for installations after December 31, 2025. Don't budget around them for a new system.
BEMC

Community Solar

Subscribe to one or more panels at a co-op array (in Bolivia or near Chadbourn) and get a bill credit for the energy they produce. A fit for renters and condo owners. Cost: $3.50 per month per panel, or $537 per panel up front. Each panel should produce about 40 kWh a month, worth roughly $46 in credits the first year.

Currently fully subscribed. Join the waitlist. You don't own the panels, so the federal solar tax credit doesn't apply. Program page.

Rooftop solar

BEMC doesn't sell or install systems, but it has over 950 installations and offers net metering. Excess generation earns credits that roll forward, tracked separately for on-peak and off-peak periods. Systems can be up to 25 kW AC. Steps: an interconnection application (with proof of homeowner's insurance, diagrams, and equipment sheets), an inspection, and BEMC's testing before permission to operate.

BEMC advises getting several installer quotes and calling netmeter@bemc.org before signing anything. Solar page.

Duke

Net metering changed in 2023

Duke doesn't install panels. Legacy 1:1 net metering is closed to new customers. New applicants choose between the Net Metering Bridge rate and Residential Solar Choice, a time-of-use rate. Both carry a monthly minimum bill, and exports are credited at a lower avoided-cost rate rather than the full retail rate.

The Bridge rate is scheduled to end January 1, 2027, after which Residential Solar Choice becomes the only option for new customers. Installers say customers who get an approved interconnection in time can stay on the Bridge rate for up to 15 years. Capacity caps apply, so talk to installers and Duke soon. More on the changes.

Electric vehicles

BEMC
  • $500 Make Ready rebate toward in-home wiring for a Level 2 charger.
  • Seven public Level 2 chargers: Brunswick Forest, Calabash, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle, Holden Beach, Shallotte (Mulberry Street), and Oak Island. Payment is through ChargePoint.
  • Low-interest EV loans through ElecTel Cooperative Federal Credit Union.

BEMC electric vehicles page

Duke

The Charger Prep Credit is a one-time credit for North Carolina customers meant to cover much or all of the cost of preparing a home for an EV charger. Hire your own electrician and submit the paid invoice for a check, or have Duke connect you with a contractor who applies the credit directly to your bill.

Third-party sources cite amounts around $1,100 or more, but the current figure is unconfirmed, so check Duke's program page.

Where to start

  1. Check your bill to confirm whether BEMC or Duke serves your address.
  2. Check eligibility first at energysavernc.org. If your household income qualifies, this is likely the biggest source of help. Since you must use an approved contractor, apply before you hire anyone.
  3. If you don't qualify, look into a utility assessment or rebate. BEMC's basic assessment is free. Duke customers can enter their address on Duke's rebate page.
  4. Layer the savings. A heat pump can qualify for a utility rebate, financing, and possibly a state rebate. Confirm which programs can be combined.
  5. If you're considering solar, move soon. Duke's Bridge rate window is closing, and BEMC's community solar has a waitlist.
  6. Confirm details before buying anything. Rebates get capped, revised, and paused, as with BEMC's thermostat program.

BEMC customer service: 800-842-5871. Duke: use the programs section of your account at duke-energy.com.